Pins and Needles
by CaptainMajor
Summary: What happens if the Inkheart incident took place when Meggie was in her later teens? What if she chooses to fight back after memories of Basta haunt her sleep? R and R please, rated M for a reason... ENJOY!
1. Nightmares

Meggie awoke in a cold sweat

Meggie awoke in a cold sweat. As the darkness of her bedroom came into focus, her knees throbbed with the exertion of her nightmare.

"Just a dream, Meggie… relax." The teenager soothed herself, and tucked her legs up to her chest. Her breathing was shaky and uneven. A sickening twinge ran up her spine as the dream ran foggy circles in her mind. Searing pictures of pale faces, knife blades, and twisted smiles clouded over her eyes. The temptation to let out a weak scream wavered her lips. She whimpered instead. With shaking limbs she settled herself back into her quilts and pillows, and eased into a sleep.

_She stood in the center of a room. The walls were filthy green, peeling and revealing the wood framing. Something dripped from the ceiling, red and warm…blood._

"_Hello?" Her voice sounded weak and tiny in the creaky chill of the room. The sound of breathing rose slowly and steadily. "Hello?" tears pooled in her eyes as the ragged and abnormally fast panting grew louder and louder. Meggie screamed, and as she did so, a light snapped on in the room. All was white, then a figure was visible in the corner. A strange curiosity pulled Meggie towards the panting man._

"_Meggie" he said, his voice had a slight rasp, it was unusually unique. His green eyes opened, revealing blood shot corners. His lips quivered and curved into a sexy smile. "Meggie" his breathing grew faster and faster, to a monstrous and scary pace._

"_Basta" she said, her voice almost a scream. He smiled again, and black blood streamed through the corners of his mouth._

"_Meggie!" His head cocked to the side, and the short man's shoulders trembled. She looked down at his body. He wore his usual black skinny jeans, but he was shirtless. She cried out again when her eyes fell upon his heaving chest. Over his right breast, where his heart was meant to be, was a deep, black cut, bleeding profusely. His entire body quaked as he continued his hyperventilating. His flat abs sunk in to reveal his ribs. "MEGGIE!" _

"AIIEEEE!!" Meggie jerked herself awake, soaked in sobs.

"Meggie! Oh Meggie, it's ok, it's just a bad dream." Meggie blinked tear drenched eyes at a light. Mo, Resa and Elinor were gathered around her. She wiped her eyes, and fluttered her wet eyelashes.

"Mo?" she asked shakily.

"Yes honey?" He looked sympathetically at his seventeen year old daughter.

"Nothing, Mo." She shook her head. "What time is it?"

"It's 3 in the morning, dear." His face was grave.

"Every time I close my eyes…" she sniffed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Asked Elinor, putting a cool, damp cloth to Meggie's wet forehead.

"It's alright." Meggie greatly accepted the coolness the cloth brought to her body. She was literally soaked in sweat, her pajamas hung grossly to her quivering body. "I think I'd like to change." As she started to get up out of her bed, she realized her legs were tangled in her sheets to the point of constriction. "If I can get untangled." Her family slowly worked Meggie's legs out of the tangle of sheets.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" asked Resa's fluttering hands.

"Yes" Meggie's voice was strained from screaming. As her family left her room, her stripped out of her silky Pajamas. Her fingers had a hard time grasping the wet fabrics of her shirt. Her clothes fell into a pile on the floor, around her ankles. She went to run her fingers through her hair, and frowned sadly at the greasy, filthy strands. With the realization that she wouldn't try to sleep again, she decided to take a shower. She took her fluffy housecoat off her door hook, and wrapped it around her sick body. Outside her gleaming windows, the blackness of night seemed to bang on her window pane. It wanted in. The cozy orange glow of her desk lamp kept the horror of outside at bay. The girl silently padded through the house. She was relived to see the light from the living room was on. She tiptoed across the upstairs hallway to the bathroom, but when she reached the top of the stairs, the adult's conversation from below drifted up to her in hushed, whispering tones.

"It's her tenth this week...it's not healthy."

"I reckon it's Basta she's dreaming about; I heard her say his name."

"That dog…" Meggie shakily ignored the adults' words and flicked on the bathroom light. She involuntarily looked at the corner of the room, just to make sure Basta wasn't standing there…waiting for her. He wasn't, of course. The young girl closed the door, and debated on locking it or not. She didn't, incase she happened to fall asleep under the warm water.

X-x-X

"And for homework I'd like you to create a different world, something that will grab our attention. Have a nice weekend!" Meggie gathered her schoolbooks off her desk and slid them into her schoolbag. Thunder rumbled low in the distance, and with a nervous glance out the classroom window, Meggie noticed the sky was grayish purple, and light was scarce. It was like dusk at three PM. "Meggie" the girl looked up to see her teacher gathering things on her own desk.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? I caught you dozing in class…"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Having problems sleeping is all." Meggie was anxious to go home.

"Alright. Have a nice weekend." The teacher waved as Meggie exited the class, and pushed her way through the dimly lit hallway.

"Hey, Meggie! Wait up!" The girl looked over her shoulder at Farid.

"Hey, Farid."

"How are you?" He kissed her mouth and took her bag from her.

"I'm exhausted. How are you?" Meggie rubbed her eyes and allowed Farid to hold her hand and lead her out of the school.

"I'm fine. I don't have any homework." He grinned and followed Meggie through the light misty rain and into the school parking lot. He'd recently gotten his first car, and enjoyed chauffeuring Meggie to and from school. "Are you coming to my house tonight?"

"Um, sure, ok. Let me call Mo first." Meggie dug her pink cell phone out of her schoolbag, and inserted the number 1, Mo's speed dial. "Hey Mo…I'm fine, and you?...that's good…yeah, um, could I go to Farid's tonight?...yes ok…thanks, Mo… uhhuh… oh course….ok…love you too…before 12, I know…love you too…buh bye." She flipped her phone shut and let out a yawn.

"You can come?"

"Yes." She smiled faintly and cozied in the warm interior of the car and flipped her long blond hair out of her face. It was long, almost past her shoulder blades. She allowed Farid to put his hand on the thigh of her grey sweatpants, and signed in content. In just an hour or so, she'd be cozied up on a couch beside Farid…


	2. Attraction is a funny thing

A/N: Whaddaya know

**A/N: Whaddaya know? Another story! I hope this one will amuse some of you more mature readers. **

**Yeah, I really don't know where I'm going with this story, but I totally appreciate reviews. The more the merrier! :D**

_Meggie approached a table in the middle of a forest… a body lay across the wood, un-breathing, un-moving._

"_Are you OK?" Meggie inched across the forest floor to the figure. She noted a sharp chin and dark brown hair… so familiar. The forest floor began to feel sharp, as if she was walking on pins and needles. The figure's chest jerked and heaved, then fell motionless again. "I can help you" she whispered. Just as she reached the table, the figure disappeared. Meggie reached out, only to touch cool, misty air. Then she felt warm breath on the back of her neck. She spun around, only to come face to face with Basta. "Basta?" Her voice was weak and afraid. He didn't smile. He tilted his head back slowly, exposing his jugular. His green eyes were half open, and thickly lined with eyeliner. His glossy teeth gleamed in the grayish light. Suddenly Meggie's fear muddled with attraction. She opened her lips, and looked Basta up and down. All the while, a jerking sensation seemed to pull her away from the dangerous man. But…she wanted him… "NO!" She tried to walk away, she just moved forward. Closer, closer, closer, until she could smell his intoxicating scent. His eyes were teary and sad, and eyeliner began dripping down his cheeks. "Come to me" she found herself saying. His eyes narrowed, and his hands drifted to his belt. Her heart rate sped up, but when she saw the glint of a knife blade, she screamed. _

"MEGGIE!" Her eyes burst open, and Dustfinger's face became visible. "Are you ok?"

"Dustfinger?" It took Meggie several moments to remember that she was at Dustfinger and Farid's house. "Can you drive me home please?" She felt tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Sure thing" he helped her to her feet and led her across the house, to the garage. "Your parents told me you've been having some nightmares lately." His face was concerned.

"Oh…yeah."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" All of a sudden Meggie was compelled to open up to Dustfinger about her strange dreams, but decided against it.

"No, it's ok." She shook off the remains of the dream, and her odd sexual attraction to Basta, and hopped into Dustfinger's car.

"You were murmuring names…" he said, concern etched in his face. Meggie froze…her blood seemed to stop flowing and her mouth hung open.

"What did you hear?" she asked.

"Basta…come to me…" as he started the car he glanced at her darkened profile. She was biting her lip.

"Meggie?"

"SORRY!" She burst, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Relax, Hun, relax…" Dustfinger reached across and touched Meggie's knee, much like Farid did. It soothed Meggie to her core, much to her surprise and horror. And something about the tone in Dustfinger's voice…she loved it. Meggie shook her head and sighed. How confusing everything was.

"I don't love him" she sniffed.

"I know"

"But you heard me saying his name…"

"Attraction is a funny thing, Meggie. You never know…who it will hit…" his gaze lingered over her face for a moment too long. She snapped her head to the right, and focused on looking out the window at the black of the night. Her heart, though, thudded in her chest and butterflies swarmed her stomach. 


	3. Unsafe

Hey guys

**Hey guys. Here is chapter 3. Reviews please! Also, I'd like to announce updates on my site. I advise you check it out, there's now a fan art section! (The URL is enclosed on my profile for those of you who don't know). Thanks for reading! Best wishes, Isabeau **

Mo answered the door and invited Dustfinger inside. Meggie wanted to hit Mo up side the head for letting the man in, but said nothing. She just mumbled a thank you and jogged to her bedroom, where she turned on all her lights. She kicked off her sneakers, and cringed as a flash of lightning illuminated her room. She wriggled into a fresh pair of PJs, and settled into her bed. She sighed, and dared herself to close her eyes. The second she did, her exhaustion lured her into a deep and paralyzing sleep.

_Meggie walked through the hallway. It seemed to go on forever, the uneven linoleum tiles creaking under her flats. She could only see about three feet in front of her, before the rest of the way was completely engulfed in a horrific darkness. As she continued to walk, the corridor seemed to grow narrower and narrower, until a hospital stretcher was wedged in between the walls at the end of the hall. Meggie nearly screamed at what she saw. Basta, clothed in only his jeans, lay strapped to the stretcher, blood pouring out of his mouth. At his side, was Dustfinger, holding a butcher knife. _

"_NO!" Cried Meggie, running towards them. The picture grew bigger and bigger, but she was getting further away from them. She screamed bloody murder as Dustfinger plunged the knife in Basta's flat belly, and pulled the knife up his chest and to his throat. Basta screamed and cried out, his head tilting from side to side. Blood poured from the wound, and millions of little black spiders rushed out of the cut, scurrying towards Meggie… _

"MEGGIE!" She opened her eyes, and found herself in Mo's arms. Dustfinger was beside him, his eyes large and concerned. This was all beginning to get mundane for Meggie, so she dismissed Mo with a quivering voice. He and Dustfinger left, leaving Meggie to hold herself and stare at the ceiling. She sat alone for quite some time, but when the fear of falling asleep crept upon her, so fetched her schoolbag from beside her door and fished through it. She pulled out her notebook, and began working on her homework.

Meggie didn't feel the need to think about her words; they just flowed through her hands to her pencil then onto the paper, fluent and morbid…exactly how she felt.

_There was a place, a forest, plagued with fear and the unconscious disturbance of a presence; so vile and evil, that ruled the land with force and terror. The ruler took the shape of a big black wolf and haunted the land, scouring the black forests, picking off anyone who strayed too far from their homes. Mork, the ruler of the land, had a powerful minion, Thleera. She stalked the villages, dressed as a beautiful woman, picking off men who came to her. The land ruled by Mork and Thleera was somber and still, even day time was chilly and scary. The darkness of Mork's reign cast a scared veil over the villager's. They knew there was no escape… _

Meggie finished her assignment with a sense of dignity.

"Now I'm not the only person who's scared" she mumbled to herself. With a nervous sigh, she pushed aside her notebook, and nestled into the sheets, hoping to fall into a _dreamless _sleep.

X-x-X

Meggie awoke an hour later to her own screams. She dreamt of Basta again, only this time she just saw him chained to a wall, screaming his face off, blood seeping from his stomach.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She bawled, holding her face in her hands. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" She banged her head against her head board and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. In her state of fury, she grabbed her phone, and dialed Farid's cell number. "Farid?" she sniffed.

"M-Meggie?" Farid sounded surprised. "Meggie it's one in the morning, what's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare, Farid." Then she heard a giggle in the background. A girl's voice. "Hey Farid, what was that?" All of a sudden her anger switched to curiosity.

"Er, nothing Meggie…TV." Farid seemed hasty. "What was your dream?"

"It was about Basta." Meggie poured out her heart, but all she heard was the crackle of static on the other line. "Farid?"

"Oh, that sucks." The boy sounded unconcerned. "Try and get some sleep Meggie."

"Love you-"

_Click _

Meggie tried to ignore the curt conversation with Farid, and threw her phone to the end of her bed. She whimpered as she cozied up in her blankets. The fear of Basta's sexy face taunted her though, making her dead scared to even close her eyes. But exhaustion weighed down her eyelids.

"No" she told herself, shaking her head. "Don't." But then something else made her sit up straight in bed, her heart a pounding.

_Where was Basta NOW? _

Meggie shivered, and suddenly she felt extremely unsafe.


	4. Clues

THANK YOU SO MUCH, those of you who reviewed

**THANK YOU SO MUCH, those of you who reviewed! I appreciate it so much. I simply adore reviews (in case you haven't noticed). I hope you enjoy this chapter… things will start to pick up.**

**CALLING ALL ARTISTS: on my website, I have the details on how you can submit fan art and have it advertised on my site. Check it out! :D **

Meggie called Farid the moment her bedside digital clock read 9:00am. She dragged her bare feet across the Berber carpet, walking like a zombie to her mirror. She swore eat the reflexion she saw: her brown eyes were thickly rimmed with bruisy looking bags, and her usually clear skin was broken out in a nasty case of acne.

"Look at what you've done to my, Basta." She sniffed, poking on of the bags. "What did I ever do to you, huh?" With a shake of her head, Meggie flipped open her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Farid. It's Meggie." The teenager sunk into her favorite white, wicker chair.

"Hey Megs, get some sleep?"

"None" she absentmindedly played with a lock of her wavy hair.

"Aw, gee Meggie. Maybe we should go for an espresso?"

"Good idea… I really need some caffeine!" She flipped her phone shut and made an honest effort to get herself looking presentable. She caked her face in zit cream, and stood under a cold shower. By the time her she'd dried her hair and cozied into a pair of pink sweatpants and a thin graphic tee, Mo called her name.

"Meggie! Farid is here!" She cast a hopeless glance at her mirror before sticking her feet in flip-flops and making her way downstairs.

Farid stood in the foyer, wearing clean jean shorts and a red polo.

"Hi Farid." Meggie zipped up her purse and let Farid kiss her at the bottom of the stairs (much to Mo's dismay).

"Megs" he murmured, as he held her hand.

"Bye Mo." Meggie kissed her father's cheek and followed Farid into the sunlight. His silver car was parked where it always was; beside the fountain. Meggie clambered into the passenger seat, and dropped her purse between her feet.

"So tell me about these dreams," said Farid, driving in the direction of the local coffee shop. Meggie groaned.

"Basta. In my head. It's awful! It's like… he's always in pain. And in my dream I'm always drawn to him, even though I'm scared." Meggie babbled about her dreams, but something caught her eye. Her rant came to a screeching halt as she reached forward and plucked a tube of lip gloss off the dash. "What's this?"

"Oh, erm, you must have left it in here the other day." Farid bit his lip.

"I've never seen this in my life…I don't wear Maybeline." Meggie scowled. "FARID?"

"WHAT Meggie? I don't know! You're the only girl that's in my car, you tell me!" Meggie was going to spit her reply, but Farid spoke again. "You're exhausted, delusional! Maybe you just don't remember." Meggie stifled frustrated tears. She and Farid's relationship had been on the fritz since she started grade 12, but she made all her efforts to keep it going.

"You're right" she sniffed.

The two drove in silence until they reached the parking lot.

"Sorry I yelled" said Farid, helping Meggie out of the car.


	5. Dustfinger

Guys, I beg of you, please review these chapters… I need your input

**Guys, I beg of you, please review these chapters… I need your input! I need to know what you though, if you liked it, if you like my OCs if you WANT Meggie and Farid to split up, etc. Thank you to my regular reviewers (I love you all so much!) you are SAINTS. Oh, one last thing, today is a very special day. It is my beloved favorite actor's (and lover) birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY THOMAS KRETSCHMANN! Anyways, here's chapter 5. Things are starting to get eerie… **

Meggie was lounging around in the living room after Mo, Resa, Elinor and Darius left to go to a community meeting. Meggie had been uncomfortable being left alone, but not wanting to seem like a baby, she pretended to be completely cool. On the inside, though, her heart thudded and she feared that every single part of the house would turn into an eerie, dark and grimy horror house. And Basta of course… oh how she feared the man. She had all the lights turned on in fear of seeing a gored up man slumped in a corner. A knock at the front door made her scream like a child and leap about four feet in the air. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she turned the volume of the TV down. She tiptoed to the front door, armed with a glass. She wiped some tears away from her eyes with shaking fingers. She peered through the peephole and sighed in relief when she noticed it was Dustfinger. She unbolted the locks, and held the door open wide. She felt more then relieved to have his company.

"Heyyy" she said, wrestling the urge to hug him.

"Meggie! How are you?" The man nervously stepped into the foyer.

"I'm a little shaken… how are you?"

"Um…fine." He seemed stressed. "Where are your parents?"

"Out."

"Really? Man. Ok." He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting nervously from Meggie to random objects in the house.

"Come in! Don't be a stranger." Meggie slammed the door shut, shook off the chills running down her spine, and locked the door. She led Dustfinger by his hand to the living room, where he sat down on a couch right next to Meggie. "Would you like anything to drink?" She asked, picking up her milkshake. She stirred the creamy contents with a straw.

"No thanks." The two sat together, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, for a long while, and then Dustfinger spoke. "What does Basta do to you in your dreams?" Meggie shrugged and she sipped the milkshake.

"He doesn't really do anything to me…he's pulled knives on me before, he's called my name, laughed at me, but mostly he's in pain. And every time I see him I go to him, even though I'm terrified. Part of me wants him…" She shook her head and yawned immensely. Without much thought she nestled herself against Dustfinger, and breathed in his manly scent. He seemed so much more composed and mature then Farid. There was something about him that Meggie…_wanted_. But then all was black…

_She walked over water, her feet icy cold from the cool lap of the waves. Her legs felt heavy, and her head light. Blue and grey seemed to stretch out forever before her, like a mirror almost. Then a chill entered her. The same glacial terror that wrenched her beating heart from her chest each time she had a nightmare. And she soon understood why. An even colder surface found its way to Meggie's neck. She wanted to scream, but a warm, soft hand covered her lips. _

"_Hello, Meggie." Purred Basta._

"_NO!" _

"Meggie, relax! Just a dream!" Dustfinger stroked Meggie's hair. The girl had tears seeping form her eyes.

"Dustfinger… we need to fix this." She wept, allowing the man to cradle her body.

"I have an idea" he whispered gravely. 


	6. Accident

Hey all

**Hey all! Here is chapter 6 of Pins and needles. It's a shortie, but I hope you enjoy all the same :D **

"In the Inkworld, Meggie, when dark and terrible matters are afoot, a vessel; becomes plagued with warnings and signs that helps them solve the problems at hand. I don't understand how this works, as you have no Inkblood in you, but _you _have been chosen as a vessel." Dustfinger paced around Meggie's bedroom, avoiding her gaze at all costs.

"Why me?" Muttered meggie under her breath. "SO how do you suppose we fix the problem?" There was a long silence before Dustfinger finally made eye contact.

"We send Basta somewhere where he can cause no evil; or better yet, become immersed in evil that outdoes his deeds."

"You mean...read?" a grave nod from Dustfinger sent a chill down Meggie's spine.

"I know where..." she said. She swiftly fished through her schoolbag and pulled out her notebook. "Are you sure?"

"yes."

Meggie and Dustfinger huddled around a few sheets of paper. They had written a passage sending Basta to Meggie's made up word. They added to the story too, elaborating on two mediators's whose job it was to protect the good in the land. Basta had quit the surprise awaiting him... Dustfinger glanced over at Meggie and with a nod of his head she began to read. At first all was still, then Meggie's bedroom was filled with the crisp, rich scents of autumn. And the colors spinning, too. Oranges, golden and yellows swarmed the contents of the room. Before Meggie could register what was happening, or stop reading for that matter, her soft carpet was replaced with damp leaves and the walls of her bedroom no longer existed. Towering trees reached up into the cloudless indigo sky. The usual smell of perfume was replaced with that of leaves, ripe apples, and a faint hint of cinnamon and horses.

"Dustfinger!" Cried meggie, scrambling to her feet.

"Oh my god, you've done it again!"


	7. Autumn Glory

Dustfinger and meggie sat in the leaves, recovering from their shock, they'd made desperate attempts to read themselves back to Earth, but the only result was a few wispy clouds added in the sky

**Hallo, Inkhearties! Here is chapter 7, as promised. I worked extra hard on this chapter, and worked on detail. May I please make a special request for this chapter? Could you all please tell me if my imagery (sight, smell, sound, etc) was rich in this chapter? Thanks so much! You're all the best. One last thing… thank you Kit9888 for modeling for me as "Caity" :D ENJOY!**

Dustfinger and meggie sat in the leaves, recovering from their shock, they'd made desperate attempts to read themselves back to Earth, but the only result was a few wispy clouds added in the sky.

"What are you going to do?" sniffed Meggie, looking around at the bright wood. The trees were gathered in such a way that it looked like a nursery... or an orchard. _And orchard of what? _Scoffed meggie to herself. _Are they harvesting pinecones in this stupid world of yours? _Her frustration clouded her mind.

"We explore." Dustfinger stood up and brushed some leaves off the rear of his jeans. "Come on, Meggie." The girl obediently scrambled to her feet and followed close behind the older man. They walked in silence for a short while, then meggie finally burst.

"It's so beautiful! I can't believe i created this!" Her eyes bulged as she took in the stellar beauty of the warm autumn day.

"You should be proud" said Dustfinger, putting his hands in the pockets of his brown jacket. "But i thought his was meant to be a land of horrors."

"Well it is, that's what makes it interesting. Looks are deceiving you know. And plus, the bag guys lurk around at night. That's what happens in horror stories."

"Aye. But wouldn't a _good _horror story happen during the day, then?"

"Huh?"

"Well, it should be scary without the lightning and the darkness." Dustfinger shrugged. At that moment a content little sparrow twittered and flew about the treetops, as if to show Meggie that her story was peaceful and carefree. "Nice horror story meggie" he chuckled.

"Hey! It's scary...enough." Meggie scratched her blond head and considered Dustfinger's words. Perhaps it was best that her world wasn't as terrifying as she had wanted it to be. Hell, maybe Basta would even ENJOY this world of her's. "There should be a village a few miles from the forest." She muttered.

"See how these trees are thinning?"

"Yeah..."

"That means the forest is coming to an end. We should reach civilization soon." The two hiked in awkward silence, and Meggie couldn't help but remember how talkative Basta had been. He was constantly gabbing about whatever came to mind. Sometimes it was funny, even cute. Dustfinger, on the other hand, rarely breathed a word.

"Dustfinger, we have no money. And our clothes don't fit into the medieval thing..."

"We have a pen and paper. That should suffice."

"But we couldn't read ourselves out-"

"I think i know why"

"Why?"

"I'll tell you later, now please, read us some gold and some clothes." Dustfinger plopped himself down on the leaves. Meggie, exasperated, sat down beside him and miserably scribbled a paragraph on the wrinkled sheet of paper. Sure enough, several gold coins fell from the sky, along with a simple cloth dress, and a tunic and pants. A rucksack too. Meggie tossed Dustfinger his clothes. "I'll turn around" he said, walking a few feet away from the girl.

"Er, ok." Meggie heard the rustle of clothes as the man undressed. The strangest urge to watch the man change nagged Meggie to the point where she peeked over her shoulder. She jumped when Dustfinger fleetingly stole a look.

"SORRY!" They blurted in unison. How strange Meggie felt at that moment. She missed Mo and Resa, and her feelings Farid were vanishing while new ones were blooming for Dustfinger. A burning desire to be with the man burnt inside her heart and melted away all common sense and morals.

As the forest continued to clear out, the leaves began crunching under the couple's feet, and a few sprigs of green grass popped out.

"I see a pumpkin patch!" Cried meggie. She had only been so happy to see civilization once before...

"And i smell horses." Sure enough, the sweet smell of horses and vegetable gardens streamed through the air with the autumn breeze.

"Hey! It's a ranch!" Meggie's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the beautiful three panel fences weaving around the pastures and gardens. A fairly large farmhouse and well were planted in front of the stellar complex.

"It looks almost modern." whispered Dustfinger in awe.

"This is amazing." Meggie quickened her pace. "This is like a ranch one would find in like... a video game! Or...Canada?" Dustfinger chuckled under his breath, making Meggie feel like a child. The two wandered down the fence line, and to the front gate. "Should we just walk in?"

"Yes." Meggie followed close behind Dustfinger up the dirt path. Curious ponies studied them from the other side of the pine fencing. Meggie was tempted to caress their soft noses, but Dustfinger didn't look like he was willing to stop like he was at a petting zoo.

The driveway was about 2acres in length, the dirt had been pattered hundreds of times by horses. Meggie found everything, every flower every horse, every bug, every leaf BRILLIANT! She felt ecstatic just looking at the rolling hills in the distance, the golden brown hue of the forest, and the deep blue of the sky. The way the cool breeze tickled her scalp and tangled her hair was almost like a welcoming committee to the girl.

"Hi there, can i help you?" Meggie jumped as the sound of a girl's voice carried over to them.

"Yes, we seek lodging." Dustfinger seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Meggie decided to keep her mouth shut for the time being.

"Lodging? This is no inn."

"We understand. Of course we offer gold..."

"Oh! Of course. My name is Caity." Caity, who looked like she was a bit younger then Meggie; most likely 14, tucked her strawberry blond hair behind her pink ears. Her grey blue eyes twinkled in the afternoon sunlight. "I'll have a word with father" she said, winding her hands in the light mauve fabric of her dress. She scurried across the yard and disappeared in the beautifully crafted house. Dustfinger and Meggie exchanged glances.

"She's nice" said Dustfinger, adjusting the rucksack on his shoulder.

"She's young."

"Age only matters if you're cheese." Replied Dustfinger. Meggie smiled. She was just about to wonder if Dustfinger was implying something there when a blond man came out of the house.

"Hey there" He called. His light hair was cropped close to his head, and deep grey eyes stood out like river stones against his tanned skin.

"Hi" Dustfinger extended his hand, which the man shook.

"My name is Milo, I'm the owner of Lander's Ranch." He studied Dustfinger while rubbing his clean shaven chin. "Caitlyn tells me you seek lodging?"

"Yes we do." Dustfinger was eye to eye with Milo.

"I think that can be arranged."

"Thank you."

"But you will need to pay."

"Of course." Dustfinger smiled politely and held up a winking gold coin.

"Ah! Alright then. That's settled. We have a room available upstairs, which Caitlyn can show you to." Milo nodded in the direction of his daughter. "May I please ask for your names?"

"I'm Dustfinger, and this is Meggie."

"Welcome Master Dustfinger; Madame Meggie." Milo's smile reminded Meggie of a toothpaste commercial. "I guess I will be seeing you around often then? Long-term board?"

"Yes." Dustfinger nodded curtly then followed Caitlyn's towards the house. When they were out of earshot from Milo however, Caitlyn wheeled around and faced them.

"Call me Caity" Meggie nodded faintly, and studied the girl up and down. She must have been about 5'6, exactly Basta's height. "We have one room, which you will be sharing. And we also have fixed breakfast and dinner times. Lunch you can figure out on your own. Breakfast is at 7 am, and dinner at 7 pm. It's getting dark by then, so be inside." Caity babbled all the way to the house. When the got inside, Meggie smiled hugely. Her and Dustfinger definitely lucked out with their lodging. The floor was made from slate, and the walls a mix of timber and stone. An enormous fireplace crackled in the living space, and a long dining table separated kitchen from foyer. There was an extravagant staircase built from wood leading up to the second floor, where 4 wooden doors were clearly visible. There was another staircase at the end of the hall, which was quite narrow. Caity pointed at that. "You're room is up there. And remember: no guests." The girl's red eyebrows knit in a stern frown.

"Alright. Thank you for you hospitality, Caity." Meggie smiled at the girl.

"See you around!" Caity bounded away, her shoulder length hair flying behind her.


	8. Kitten and Napoleon

Dearest Inkhearties, for those of you who reviewed (you know who you are) I thank you so much

**Dearest Inkhearties, for those of you who reviewed (you know who you are) I thank you so much. It means a lot to me to get your feedback. I love to hear it when you almost peed yourself laughing or if your heart thudded with anticipation. It brightens my day! As my dear purple haired friend would say: "I laughed, he cried, killed that hooker… it all means the same to me." Thanks! :D **

**PS: yes, I have again added myself into the story. But instead of calling myself by my real name (that gets boring too fast) I am calling myself "Kitten" (my mom and a close friend call me that). So yeah. Also, I need a model for another character for later in the story. ****If you are first to PM me you can be in the story.**** Enjoy ******

There wasn't much for Meggie to do around the house, so she decided to romp around the ranch. The yard was peaceful enough; chickens clucked as they pecked through the browning grass, the distant moo of a cow carried over the hills, and the snorting of horses from the nearby paddocks made Meggie grin with excitement. She'd once been to a petting zoo with Mo, but she'd never actually experienced any ranching stuff. Across from her, wedged between straight fences and branchy hedges, was a long brown building. Meggie decided to investigate. She trekked across the grass, trying to match her feet with the imprint of horseshoes. She tentatively slid the door open and sneezed as the smell of hay and horses came to her in a great wall.

"Oof!" She pinched her nose to resist another sneeze.

"Hello there?" Meggie squinted in the golden light, trying to find a body for the voice she heard.

"Hi" the teenager ventured inside the barn.

"Who are you?" The lady's voice was soft.

"My name is Meggie" the girl frantically searched the roomy building when her eyes suddenly fell upon a figure inside a spacious horse stall.

"I'm Kitten." The lady grinned cheekily, strands of hay poking out of her smooth brown hair.

"Hi Kitten." Meggie extended a hand for Kitten to shake. The woman's eyebrows arched as she shook Meggie's chilly hand.

"You're cold." Kitten's white teeth glistened.

"Yeah. It's much warmer in Ital- I mean, where I come from." Meggie almost slapped herself.

"Oh yeah? Well where you from?" Kitten crossed her arms over the stall door and huffed a strand of her feathered bangs out of her face.

"Um… far away…" Meggie felt nervous all of a sudden.

"Hum. Alright. Are you staying with us?"

"Yes." Meggie nodded. A certain strand of hay in particular was beginning to piss her off… it was sticking straight up in Kitten's silky hair…

"You like horses?" The woman disappeared behind the wooden stall door as she bent over. She came up holding a wooden pale.

"Er, I don't know." Meggie shrugged and giggled.

"You don't know?" Kitten raised her eyebrows. "Well I'm the ranch hand, so you'd better like horses." She winked swiftly.

"Ok then. I like horses!" Meggie turned pink as she giggled again.

"Do you have anything to do?" Kitten pushed out of the stall. It was Meggie's turn to raise her eyebrows when she saw Kitten's outfit. She wore breeches, just like a man, and heavy leather boots strapped to her legs with multiple buckles and belts. Her shirt was army green and came halfway down her thighs, and a white cloth long sleeved shirt covered her arms. A thin black belt looped around her waist, and thick arm bands fit snugly around her wrists. Her outfit looked practical and comfy; Meggie was reminded faintly of the classic video game character _Link_ when she saw Kitten's garb.

"No. Nothing. I was just exploring." Meggie shrugged. She felt very comfortable all of a sudden. It must have been the laid back autumn weather getting to her.

"Great. You can give me a hand then." Kitten made a clicking noise with her tongue. "I'm putting grain in the horses' stalls before I bring them in at sunset. If you could go to the garden and pick 20 carrots I will love you forever."

"Ok, 20 carrots. No problem." Meggie grinned as she stepped outside. Kitten didn't seem at all like a medieval ranch gal; she seemed more to Meggie like a hip student at school. The kind that would wear army surplus shirts and skinny jeans. Maybe even pyjama pants? Meggie mulled over her thoughts until she reached the garden. It was about as big as the kitchen back at Elinor's mansion. Veggie tops poked out of the rich soil in neat rows. "What kind of garden is this?" said Meggie aloud. Gardens in Italy were rows dug out on steep hills, with luscious fruit trees dangling over the layers. "Yes. This is definitely Canadian." She nodded to herself as she searched the greenery for something orange. Sure enough, a long line of flourishing green tops bordered the garden. Meggie knew it was a carrot because she saw a little sliver of orange peeking up from the soil. She bent down to pluck one out of the Earth, when something caught her eye. At first she thought it was a mouse, but she shrieked when she realized it was a little human.

"Aha! You _filze Hooman_!" the little person leapt in the air and stuck something pointy in Meggie's direction.

"You're FRENCH?" She cried, her eyes widening at the little human with a French accent.

"I don't know what it is you speak of" spat the little man.

"You're a brownie!" Meggie was ecstatic.

"It matters not what you _zink _I am!" Meggie peered closer and saw he was wearing a mouse skin as a cape.

"BROWNIEEEEEE!!" Meggie jumped in alarm as she heard Caity's voice echo through the ranch.

"Huh?"

"Uh oh! _Sacrée Bleu! _Time to GO!" The little man jumped in the air and booked it towards a little hole in the garden.

"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAYYYYYY!!" Caity ran full tilt towards Meggie. The brownie dove into the hole just as Caity face planted into the dirt. "NO!" She growled, sticking her hand in the little burrow.

"Get _zose _hands off me, you INGRATE!" Meggie heard the muffled insults of the brownie in the hole.

"Not this time!" Caity thrust her hand further in the hole, provoking an angry yell from the brownie.

"What are you doing?" Asked Meggie through spurts of laughter. The whole scene was hilarious.

"Catching Napoleon, what else?" Caity defiantly yanked her hand out of the hole, Napoleon secured in her fist.

"Damn you child! _Petite fille! MERDE!!_" Caitlyn laughed as she scurried out of the garden, Napoleon in her hands. Meggie recovered from her laughter and picked the carrots for Kitten. She paid extra attention to where she was stepping as she walked back to the barn…


	9. Naked

I'd just like to announce that Dame Crystal got her place in my story

**I'd just like to announce that Dame Crystal got her place in my story! :D **

**Here is chapter 9. I have one request: Please don't tell me that you think this is "creepy" or "yucky" because, frankly, this is an odd story after all and it is rated M… o.O I have two more notes before getting started: One: thanks to my regular reviewers! You rock! Two: ****I accept anonymous reviews**** so even if you don't have a Fanfiction account you can still comment. As far as I see it I bust my butt to give regular updates, so please give me feedback! (Note: this does not apply to my regular reviewers, you guys know who you are… yes, Luna, you are one of them ;D). Sorry if I sounded angry there… I'm just kinda cranky. Had a bad day. **

"I'll sleep on the floor."

"Dustfinger, that's really unnecessary."

"No, it's not. Do you know what your father would do to me if he heard we shared a bed?" Dustfinger looked flustered as he paced the room.

"Dustfinger… I don't think Mo will be finding out." A pang struck Meggie in her heart as a mental image of a hurt and confused Mo came into her mind.

"Don't think that way, Meggie." Dustfinger lay down on the rug, using the rucksack as a pillow.

"Goodnight Dustfinger."

"Goodnight Meggie."

_Meggie ran blindly through the black forest, autumn cold biting her skin. She didn't know where she was going or what she was doing, but she seemed to have one destination in mind. She tore around tree trunks and bushes, dodging this way and that, until a hill came into view. _

"_STOP!" Meggie didn't know why she said it. She glanced upwards, only to see a boy being lifted into the dark sky by two crows. "For peace! Let me go!" Meggie's words made NO sense whatsoever, but they kept pouring from her lips, beyond her control. "Sake! Damn ravens! He'll fall to pieces!" She was shrieking now. Then the ravens at his shoulders let go, and he began falling. But as he fell, he aged. From child to preteen, to adolescent to young man, he hit the ground. "I'll help you!" she sobbed, running towards the sprawled out figure. As she neared, she saw it was Basta. She hovered over him, touching random parts of his body then whipping her hand away as if his clothes singed her fingers. When her fingers swept over his lips, his green eyes opened. "I thought you were dead!" her voice was angry now, clouded with pent up frustration and hate. "It's YOUR fault Farid doesn't love me! It's YOUR fault Dustfinger despises me! It's YOUR fault I'm tired! It's YOUR fault I'm naked!" The second the words spilled from her mouth, her clothes melted away from her body, leaving her naked right in front of Basta. The man seemed indifferent, as if he'd seen Meggie undressed a million times. He just blinked lazily. "SEE? You torture me! You won't even recognize me!" Just then a wolf howl broke the sound of Basta's steady breathing. The man screamed! Bellowed! His cracking voice seemed to split the sky and as it happened stars spangled across the deep ebony. _

"_RUN AWAY!" He sobbed, his voice warped into that of a teenager's. Blood spilled from his mouth. The wolf howled again and he began sobbing uncontrollably. But the ringing of a cell phone silenced the wolf… _

"MEGGIE!" Dustfinger shook her shoulders.

"Huh?" The girl blinked into the pitch blackness of the room.

"Are you OK?" The man's voice was deep and concerned.

"Was I screaming?" Meggie felt embarrassed as fear started wearing off.

"No, but you were yelling. Meggie, I'm concerned."

"What did you hear?"

"Well, for starters, where did you get the idea that I hated you?" Silence lingered between them like a led balloon. "Meggie…I _do not _hate you."

"But you're always so quiet. You won't look at me. You're flustered all the time." Meggie tucked her knees up to her chest. The calluses on her feet scraped against the rough material of the sheets.

"I like you Meggie."

"Did you hear anything about…F-"

"Yes." Meggie sniffed back tears. "I think he's cheating on me." There was a long silence before Dustfinger replied.

"I know." Meggie felt flabbergasted!

"And you didn't even tell me?" She wailed, hot tears spilling from her eyes. Dustfinger began to speak, but Meggie silenced him. "No! It's not fair! Now one would have told me! How long did you know for? You acted like nothing happened! Do you support what Farid is doing? Or an I just some dumb c-"

"I went to your house to speak with your father!" Blurted Dustfinger. His voice sounded so injured… Meggie felt so stupid. She felt she had to fix the situation.

"Please sleep with me." She sniveled after a long pause.

"Meggie!"

"I meant beside me." She huffed.

"Oh." He tentatively crawled up beside her. Before she closed her eyes, Meggie took hold of Dustfinger's arm… 


	10. Connection

Now that we've gotten that serious stuff over with, where is a chapter loaded with comic relief

**Now that we've gotten that serious stuff over with, where is a chapter loaded with comic relief. Aha! Enjoy :)**

"Good morning miss" Meggie blinked groggily. She hadn't heard those words for so long… "Or should I say, afternoon?"

"Huh?"

"It's four in the afternoon. You have…slept." A blurry outline of Dustfinger's face appeared in front of Meggie. It took her several moments for her to remember where she was. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"All night?"

"And most of the day" chuckled Dustfinger.

"Well that's news." She yawned and stretched. "I'm hungry" at that second her stomach grumbled loudly. Dustfinger laughed.

"That you are. Why don't you go downstairs and pester Tessa for some food?"

"Tessa?" Meggie wriggled out of the warm bed.

"She's the house keeper." Dustfinger winked. "She reminds me of your aunt."

"Greaaaat." Meggie laughed. But as she walked down the stairs, she was surprised at how much she missed her aunt. On the main floor, Meggie noticed a lady cutting apples at the long table. "Hello" she said. The woman looked up and smiled.

"Good day to you miss."

"Call me Meggie" the girl sat down across from Tessa. "Would you like a hand?"

"No that's alright." The aging lady smiled sweetly before looking back down at her pie-in-progress.

"Ok." Meggie cast one last glance at the food and then wandered outside. The golden sunshine caressed her skin like warm honey. She wasn't surprised when she saw Kitten riding a prancing appaloosa horse across the yard. "HI KITTEN!" Meggie called and waved. The woman atop the horse looked over and waved. The horse reared up on his hind feet, his mane rippling in the breeze. Then the sound of laughter caught Meggie's attention. She turned to the garden, where she was Caity and two other girls crouched around something. Meggie had a hunch on what it might be. She crept towards the girls, and laughed aloud when she heard an angry Frenchmen expressing his hate for his capturers. "Is that Napoleon?" She giggled.

"You betcha" chirped the girl Meggie didn't know. She had silky chestnut hair and a freckled face. "I'm Emily. Pleased to meet you acquaintance." The girl was cute. She must have been only eleven, yet she had so much attitude and spunk. The other girl was grinning like a maniac. "This is my accomplice, Crystal." Emily winked.

"Hi" Crystal grinned.

"Are you guys tormenting Napoleon again?" Meggie wanted to sound stern, but her voice broke and wavered with giggles.

"In a way." Crystal turned to face Meggie, holding the little man in her fingers. Meggie nearly wet herself she began laughing so hard. They had dressed Napoleon in a miniature dress.

"LET GO OF ME!" Cried Napoleon in his accent. Meggie had tears streaming down her cheeks from laughing so hard.

"I don't think that will be happening any time soon, Mr. Bonaparte!" Meggie was so busy laughing that she didn't really realize the silence that followed her comment. The blank stares of the children killed her laughter. "What?"

"Who's Bonaparte?" Crystal blinked.

"He's the….um… oh, oops. Did I say Bonaparte?" Meggie laughed nervously. How stupid that was. Caitlyn turned to Crystal and whispered in her ear:

"Told you she was odd." Meggie blushed bright pink. But luckily, Kitten got everyone's attention.

"Who wants to go for a ride?"

"ME!" Cried the girls in unison. They dropped Napoleon and ran towards the woman holding the lead ropes of 4 horses.

"You wanna come Meggie?" Kitten's horse nibbled her hair.

"I've never ridden before…"

"No matter. You will learn." Kitten smirked. "Come." Meggie tentatively stepped towards the snorting horses. Kitten's was the tallest. He was a beautiful animal with a fiery attitude and copper-y coat. His haunches were snow white though, and spotted with dark brown. His made and tail was silky blond. He was beautiful. "Meggie, meet Oliver." She pointed at a small horse with dark brown fur.

"Hi, Oliver." Meggie timidly stroked his grey nose.

"You ride him." Meggie nodded and let Kitten help her onto the pony's back.

"What's your horse's name?" Asked Meggie, collecting the reins in her hands.

"Mr. Pink." Kitten stroked the animal's mottled pink nose. Meggie could see the bond between the two was very strong. "Ain't that right, Blondie?" Kitten spoke lovingly to the animal. The horse nudged her chest. "Oof. Ok, let's get going." She giggled and watched as Emily climbed atop a medium sized bay horse, and Crystal and Caity doubled on a palomino. Meggie soon learned that Emily's horse was named Nikki, and the palomino's name was Sun Dime. Every one chatted lightly as they wandered out of the ranch and out onto a dirt road.

"Can we not ride in the field?" Asked Emily. "Nikki likes to eat grass there."

"Alright." Kitten chuckled. "We'll stay on the road." Meggie heard talk of an apple pie for dessert, and a meal consisting of bread and stew. Her stomach promptly reminded her of her starvation.

XxXxX

Dinner was delicious. All the members of the ranch except for Emily and Crystal sat around the table. Meggie ate like some kind of beast, but she wasn't the least bit embarrassed. She was HUNGRY!

"Some one has an appetite" giggled Kitten, munching on an apple slice. Meggie nodded with gusto. "My kinda girl" Kitten winked. Milo kept Dustfinger busy with questions about business and commerce, whilst Caity chatted to Kitten about her encounter with Napoleon. "Damn that little Brownie" laughed the blue eyed lady.

"Yeah. He's a little stinker that's for sure." With a twist of her mouth, Caity shrugged. "What I do want to know is why he keeps coming back."

"Who knows" said Tessa. "Perhaps he loves you?" Kitten snorted. Tessa fixed her with a cold glare. "Don't be jealous Kitten. We all know you've never had a lover."

"And I'm quite proud, thank you." Kitten shrugged.

"She's 19 and a virgin. Can you believe it?" Tessa raised her eyebrows at Meggie. The girl saw that Kitten was blushing a spectacular array of reds and pinks. Milo coughed loudly, as if to dismiss the topic.

"Don't worry Kitten, you'll find your man." Meggie smiled.

"Thanks hun." Kitten made a weak attempt at a grin.

"AHEM." Milo coughed again.

"Sorry." Meggie twisted her lips and an effort to stop from laughing. They finished dinner and dessert, and it wasn't long before everyone said their goodnights and head up to bed. For one reason or another, Meggie was _excited _to go to sleep. She followed Dustfinger up the narrow staircase and into their room. She was about to open her mouth to speak with Dustfinger, when she heard the faded ringing of a cell phone…

"OMIGOD MY PHONE!" Meggie shrieked and pounced on the rucksack. She frantically dug through the bag, when out tumbled her little pink Motorola. The screen said _Mo_. "MO!" Meggie began sobbing with joy. She flicked the phone open, and screamed into the receiver. "I LOVE YOU!"

"Meggie? Where in heaven's name are you?" His voice sounded like a cross between horror, relief and worry.

"I don't know! Dustfinger and i… well, we're in a place that I wrote about…"

"WHAT?"

"I'm so sorry Mo, I'm so sorry." She sobbed and sobbed and sobbed into the phone, the mere sound of Mo's voice made her feel warm and teary.

"Oh Meggie I've been worried sick." Mo comforted Meggie, assuring her that everything would be Ok. "We'll figure it out Meggie. Don't you worry." _Beep beeEEEP! _

"MO! My phone is dying!" Meggie wanted to reach out to her father, but he was no where to be seen. The only sign of him was his fading voice.

"I love you Meggie……_cuuuuushhhhh_" The phone died.

"You just spoke to Silvertongue?" Dustfinger sounded incredulous. Meggie nodded and sniffed back tears.

"I'm so confused" she sniveled.

"Me too, Meggie. Me too." Dustfinger wrapped the girl in a hug.


	11. Walking on pins and needles

This time he undressed her

**.In this chapter: Meggie/Basta, Meggie/Dustfinger. Don't like it? Don't read it. **

_This time he undressed her. And she __**wanted **__it. He looked angry though, and shook his head as he removed more layers of her clothes. _

"_Is it worth the pain?" He asked, scrunching up his eyeliner-ed eyes. "This isn't what's supposed to have happened-" _

"_I will BREAK!" Meggie screamed into Basta's face. He glared at her before taking off her bra. It fell around her ankles. "So you can shut up." _

"_Let me live without this" he spat, some stands of his bangs falling in front of his piercing green eyes. _

"_I am the mediator, you do as I say. Finish." _

"_I don't want you to take me." He stopped slipping off her skirt and crossed his arms. _

"_I can't let you go. Not now." _

"_I'm walking on pins and needles around you." He snarled, slivers of his teeth glinting in the dark. Meggie became impatient. She curved her leg around his calves and pulled. He tried to save himself from the fall, but he ended up snapping bones in his wrists instead. He roared in agony, but Meggie ignored the tears wobbling in his eyes. She sat on his lap, her legs curling around his waist. His head fell back. Meggie licked from between his nipples, up his throat, along his jaw, and bit his ear. His hair smelt really good, like something Meggie couldn't place. And the sensation of his light stubble against her soft lips was arousing. She moaned and whimpered into his ear, wishing he'd do something to her, but he remained motionless. _

"_Touch me" she breathed, curving her hips against his stomach. He closed his eyes in response. She kissed his face, and found that his skin was beginning to cool off… he was so cold… his muscles relaxed in her arms and he fell limp. _

Meggie opened her eyes and shook her head.

"Omigod" she muttered to herself. The room was black, and she heard Dustfinger breathing softly beside her. She couldn't believe what immense attraction she had felt for Basta. Was it real? Would he really resist her? Meggie groaned. She felt violated. Sure, Basta looked like he might be a sex bomb, but she didn't _want _him. It just felt wrong.

"Meggie?" A groggy Dustfinger spoke with a thick voice.

"Yes?"

"Are you OK?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine. Just uh… thinking."

"Have a dream?"

"Naw."

"Well that's good." The man yawned. Meggie couldn't manage to shake the dream out of her head. Then and idea struck her… back at High school, when a girl had a crush on an "unworthy" guy, she was advised to obsess over something new… to take her mind off of her old crush. Did it really work? Or would kissing a much older man add to her gross-ness? She rolled over so she was against Dustfinger. He seemed to go rigid, most likely with surprise, but didn't swat her away or kick her. Meggie laced her arms around his body, carefully, as if a wrong move would piss him off. "What are you doing?" He asked his voice thick.

"Feeling you" Meggie bit her lip after saying the words… she waited, silently praying, hoping that Dustfinger wouldn't get up in leave. Instead he sighed and allowed her to touch his body. His chest wasn't smooth like Basta's, and his belly didn't have the abs that the other man did, but touching Dustfinger felt better then her ex enemy. Then she felt a familiar feeling: desire. She really, _really _wanted Dustfinger to touch her too. Her body was thirsty for it. "Touch me" she whispered.

"I don't think that's such a good idea" he murmured.

"Why not?"

"You're father-"

"Doesn't matter. What is he going to do? Keep tabs on me all my life? And girls here, girls where you come from, are married and are mothers by now. Let me fit in..."

"Meggie, I can't take you-"

"You don't have to." A pang struck her as memories of her first time, with Farid, flooded back. The man sighed.

"It still isn't right."

"That's because you're not letting it."

Another pause.

Meggie sighed deeply and rolled away from Dustfinger. There was a long while before the man rolled over too, and put his hands around Meggie's waist. The girl took his hands in her own, and guided them over her body. He liked it, she knew that for sure, but he was also shy. Meggie decided to just give him a quick taste, and let him decide if he wanted her or not. 


	12. Stupidity

Hey all

**Hey all! It is a new chapter of Pins and Needles! Before I launch off into the extravagance of erotic Bastas and…Dustfingers (?) I would like to say that I was reading over all the reviews y'all left me. I was filled with such a warm bubbly feeling! I want to thank each and every one of you who reviewed. No comment goes unnoticed. SO in this chapter, things start picking up. MUAHAHAHA! Enjoy ;)**

**FYI: Seexxxxx **

Meggie paced absent mindedly around the ranch. Kitten was out in the forest training a colt, and the girls were with Caity's father. With a sigh she sat on a fence rail, and let the chickadees' song soothe her. She heard the crunching of boots on dry grass. With a quick glance up she saw Dustfinger.

"Hi" she cooed, a smile threatening to steal over her lips.

"Hello. What are you up to?" He stood in front of her, their faces almost level- Meggie was slightly taller perched on the rail.

"Nothing" she replied, tempted to up and open her legs right there.

"Hmm. You look conspicuous to me" he said with a wink. She grinned. The two stood in the sunshine for a long while, before Meggie couldn't take it anymore. She lurched forwards and kissed him, smack on the lips. He gasped, and blinked at her. She did it again, rougher this time. He liked it. With a moan he kissed her back, sliding his tongue all around her's. He was a MUCH better kisser then Farid. He had…experience. Meggie mumbled and moaned as Dustfinger touched all over her as they kissed. She kept her hands around his chest, then she felt something rough and warm on her legs. She looked down and saw Dustfinger's hands on her thighs. "Ok?" He asked for permission.

"Yeah." She smiled, her sex feelings stirring.

"Good" he winked. His hands traveled to the inside of her dress, right smack between her legs. She bit her lip and moaned.

"Yes" she whimpered, closing her eyes as Dustfinger's hand worked underneath her. She jumped a little as they found their way inside. It felt amazing. No other words for it- Meggie moaned and murmured under her breath as Dustfinger pleased her. Then after a while it was too gentle, not assertive enough. She slid off the fence and into Dustfinger's arms. They kissed again, passionately, craving each other. "I want more" she breathed. She tugged his hand and they approached the barn. They stumbled inside, and collapsed in a pile of hay. It was dark inside, Meggie couldn't see a thing. But she felt Dustfinger. His mouth, now trailing along her chest. There was something about Dustfinger, the way he kissed and touched, that felt knowledgeable. Like he actually knew what he was doing. Farid had no clue, he had just done what made _him _feel turned on. But with Dustfinger… She shrieked as she felt something hard on her leg. "Sorry" she whispered, knowing that would have embarrassed the man. He mumbled something and continued kissing her mouth. Oh how lovely he felt. "Take me" she said, lifting her dress.

"Meggie, I dunno…"

"Please, I beg of you, take me now."

The clatter of hooves, traveling fast, alerted the couple.

"Not now" whispered Dustfinger. They got to their feet, not wanting to look disgraceful, and opened the barn door. The two gasped in unison. Kitten had brought someone back with her. He looked dead, he was flung over the horse's back, and blood _streamed _out of his mouth in a thick red line. Dark brown hair hung in his face, but Meggie didn't need to see; she already knew that behind the veil was a pair of beautiful green blue eyes, rimmed thickly in natural eyeliner and mascara. Basta.

"Take my horse!" cried Kitten, dragging Basta off the roan's back. She fell backwards; the man was too heavy for her. Dustfinger tentatively took one of Basta's wrists and ankles and flung him over his shoulder. Meggie held the colt's reins and led him in after Kitten and Dustfinger.

"Where should we bring him" asked Dustfinger through grit teeth.

"The house" said Kitten, her hands shaking. Meggie quickly untacked the roan, put him in the stall, tossed him some grain, and ran to the house. She barged through the front door, and saw Basta lying on the kitchen table, his shirt discarded on the floor.

"Is he ok?" asked Meggie, tentatively approaching the crowd around the man's body. She wasn't surprised when no one answered her.

"The bleeding stopped on its own. Strange…" Kitten traced her fingers over Basta's eyelids. For some reason Meggie was tempted to slap them away- she refrained.

X-x-X

"_Come on Meggie, follow my voice." _

"_Ok." She tip toed out of bed, and followed the sound of his voice… He was standing in the kitchen, leaned against the table. He cocked his head. She came up against him, licking her lips. She watched as he tilted his head back, exposing his jugular. She pretended to bite it, then grabbed between his legs. _

"_Whoa, girl." He said, keeping his hands on the counter. She nipped his chin. He laughed. "I wanted to talk to you." _

"_I want to kiss you." _

"_That's great, kiddo, but right now we have something to discuss." _

"_I don't want to discuss." She reached for his lips, but he tilted his head away. _

"_This is important, it's about your safety-" kiss. "Ok, then." Kiss. Grab. Kiss. He didn't touch her back, but didn't fight her away either. He let her kiss and grope all she wanted. She was disappointed to find that he wasn't stiff. _

"_Why?" She whined, pushing out her bottom lip. _

"_Because, I don't love you." He shrugged. She shoved him back against the counter. His hip bones stuck out when he stretched that way. Hot. She started to undo his belt. "If you don't do as I say, we're both done for." Zipper. "You need to cut this out." Yank. "If you don't smarten up-" grope. "Stop this, Meggie." _

"Meggie's what's wrong?" She awoke in a sweat. Dustfinger's darkened profile was looking at her.

"Dreams" she muttered. She felt so dirty.

"What happened?" Instantly his voice was grave. She took a sigh.

"I keep molesting Basta."

Pause.

"What?"

"I can't resist. In my sleep I grope and touch, I'm like an animal! It's horrible." She felt tears sting her eyes.

"Do you feel this way towards Basta when you're awake?"

"Well, I think he's attractive, but I don't feel the desire to touch him."

"Then you're good." He stroked the side of her head.

"Really?"

"Yeah. What harm can a dream do?"


	13. Boo

Omg

**Omg! I was so surprised with all the positive feedback I got on that last chappie! YAY! Thanks again for the reviews. I totally love hearing from you guys. Now that I know what you like, I shall give you more! :D btw, I watched the movie "GoodFellas" (with Ray Liotta) and oh my lord… that movie was amazing. Some of you older readers might want to check it out. Ray Liotta as Henry Hill was intoxicating, and I am convinced that he would make a brilliant Basta. Anyways, on with the story. :Sneaks back into frame…. RAAAAAYYYYY!!: (For those of you Spongebob fans, if you saw the new episode "Who Bob what pants?" I'd like to inform you that the leader of the "bubble popping boys" was voiced by my beloved Ray. Lol). **

_He sang softly into the darkness. Meggie followed him. He said she had better follow or she'd die. She didn't believe him, but she followed, hoping that maybe he'd take her deep in the woods and make love to her there. _

"_You're good at signing." She smiled into the darkness of the night. Basta smiled, but didn't reply. Or continue singing for that matter. Silence. But not an eerie one. Meggie conducted an experiment: the further away she walked from Basta, the lonelier and scared she felt. The closer she walked to him, the warmer and safer she became. Strange. "Will you hold me?" She asked. _

"_Why would I do that?" He asked with a chuckle. _

"_Um"_

"_I already know why you want to be close to me." He jammed his hands in the pockets of his black jacket. It looked warm, like leather. _

"_What do you think?"_

"_Because you're scared." He looked over his shoulder and winked. It just about killed the girl. She remained quiet. She followed by Basta's shoulder the whole time. He was warm, and smooth. He smelled really good. _

"_Where are we going?" _

"_We're hiding."_

"_Why?" She was confused, and she felt insecure again._

"_Because staying in one place isn't safe." Meggie remembered the tale she'd weaved. Basta was right; they weren't safe._

"_So what makes you think we'll be secure in the middle of a forest?" _

"_No one knows where we are." He stopped at a willow tree, and began climbing. _

"_I'm a bit confused" started Meggie, following his lead and making her way up the tree. "I am dreaming, right?" _

"_Yes."_

"_And so are you?"_

"_Correct."_

"_So why does it matter if we hide or not?" There was a pause, and the leaves rustled in the darkness. "Because in this world, dreams are closely related to reality. Whatever happens here will affect you." He looked so handsome in the dark, like a young teenager. Meggie's lips parted as she studied him. His nearly black hair fell in strips in front of his left eye. His lips were parted slightly, and his front teeth glistened in the moonlight. A wolf howled, and Meggie jumped. "He's coming." Said Basta. Meggie looked up at Basta's moonlit face and shivered. "Boo" he purred. _


	14. Being Born

Yar har har

**Yar har har! Thank you, me (ink)hearties for all the reviews ye left me on the last chappie! (I just got the Pirate beta set up on my facebook, so I'm kinda pirate obsessed lol). So I really appreciated the great comments you left. I especially loved to hear about your reactions. "I got Goosebumps"…. Perfecto! :D **

**I wanted to make this chapter a little bit complex and long, I really hope you enjoy! Meggie begins getting a bit too comfortable in her world… I hope you don't mind some sexiness… (And yes, Kit… some Napoleon too). Enjoy! **

Meggie was outside. It was a beautiful warm Saturday morning. The chill and frost had burned off, leaving the ground slick and yellow. As she walked, she contemplated her dream. She was, despite the clearness of her dream, very confused. Was Basta actually sharing the same dream? Was he right about hiding? There was only one way to find out- to ask him. But she couldn't… he was sleeping. She wanted to bring it up with Dustfinger, but it seemed strange. _Oh hey Dustfinger, guess what? I dream of engaging in sexual activities with your arch nemesis every night! Wanna be my boyfriend? _It just didn't work. Someone's feelings were going to get hurt, and Meggie knew, deep down inside, that Kitten would some how get dragged down into this mess… she just knew…

"Meggie! Meggie come here quick!" The girl looked up and saw Caitlyn standing outside the garden.

"Hey, Caity whats up?" Meggie felt so grown up standing next to Caity. 17 years old, boyfriends, sex… she almost cringed. _Where did my childhood go? _

"I can't find Napoleon."

"He's probably hiding" said Meggie with a giggle.

"Silly brownie." Caity's eyes twinkled as she looked at Meggie. "Want to go on a ride?" She asked.

"On a horse?"

"Sure, why not."

The horses trotted through the pumpkin patch. Caitlyn bounced up and down on her pony's back, a smile on her pink face. Meggie couldn't help but smile too. Her horse, a sweet faced copper animal, seemed to float over the ground. She tilted her head back, and with bubbling laughter from deep in her soul, she let her happiness surround her. Cool breeze tangled her hair and turned her cheeks pink. She was, for the first time in a long time, free.

X-x-X

Caity showed Meggie how to properly groom her pony.

"You sweep the dandy brush over the hard pieces of dirt" she ran the bristles over the animal's solid legs, "and the finishing brush over his coat." She smiled as she sent the soft hairs over his back. "See? He likes it." She giggled as the horse sighed and dropped his head. "Good boy, Bayou." She stroked his nose.

"Why the name Bayou?" Asked Meggie, noting the horse's shiny coat. It was getting longer as the days grew cooler.

"As a baby he got stuck in a bog. Kitten roped him and dragged him out with her big horse Bugs."

"How many horses does Kitten have?" Cried Meggie.

"She has 4 personal boys, but her appaloosa is her favorite." Caity smiled knowingly, as if there was an inside joke. Meggie recalled seeing the horse Bugs. He was indeed very big. He was grey in color, a really flashy animal. "Hey look! It's Napoleon!" Caity's eyes expanded. Meggie giggled and looked at where Caity's finger was pointed. Sure enough, the brownie was sorting through the horse's sweet feed. He had a flake in his hands. "I'LL GET YOU BROWNIE!" She cried, darting out of the stall. Bayou raised his head in surprise. Meggie stroked his wither soothingly, suppressing laughter as Napoleon cried insults as Caity.

"Time to go back to the house" she said, smiling at the animal. He nickered, as if agreeing with her.

Meggie made her way to the house. She was smiling to herself, completely filled with an innocent happiness. The sky was deep blue, with wispy clouds strewn randomly, catching yellow glints of sunlight. A breeze played with Meggie's hair and rustled the orange leaves… perfect. She could even smell the faint richness of the pumpkin patch and the sweet decay of leaves and horses. She saw all 4 of Kitten's horses running laps in the far west pasture. She felt like she truly belonged in the strange video game world she had created. And not once was she faced with scary nightmares or the pang of fear. Maybe it was all a mistake?

The big oak door opened, and instantly Meggie was overcome with the cozy smell of apple pie and caramelizing fruits. Basta was resting peacefully on the kitchen table as usual. The sun filtered in through the windows, illuminating Tessa's kitchen. _Perfect_.

"What are you cooking, Tessa?"

"Pie" the lady smiled. Meggie approached the table where Basta was laying, dressed in a clean white shirt and his black skinny jeans. She placed her hands on his flat stomach, and felt his abs rising and falling as he breathed. His lips were slightly parted, and his beautiful white teeth glistened in the sunlight. Meggie sighed shakily. Basta's eyelashes were thick and black, and natural eyeliner rimmed the perimeter. He looked perfect. "Looks like we've got ourselves a sleeping angel" said Tessa with a sweet smile. Meggie wanted to shake her head; Basta was _far _from an angel. But as he slept, strands of his almost black hair fluttering upwards as he breathed, she almost believed it. _An angel. _

"Do you think he's dreaming?" Asked Meggie. Tessa chuckled.

"I'm sure he is."

Pause. _Chop chop chop _Tessa's knife chopped apples on the wooden cutting board. Basta's breath filled the silence in-between slices. Meggie traced her fingers over Basta's sharp jaw line. Tiny bits of stubble covered the lower part. The coarse and smooth feeling under her soft fingertips made Meggie quiver. Everything about the man, from his perfect face to his lean build, it was almost unreal. Like a story book character. Meggie shook her head. _How silly _she thought. _Basta is a storybook character. _And for once she was filled with a deep pity for the man. He'd been in too many stories. Far too many. Just then the front door swung open. Meggie looked up and saw Kitten. The young lady was dressed in her breeches, and a peculiar navy blue top. It looked like a cross between a corset and a tank top.

"Hallo" she said with a smile.

"Hi, Kitten." Meggie grinned at the older girl.

"How are you feeling, Meggie? Nice day, huh." Kitten strode into the house, kicking off her knee-high pirate boots in the process. Meggie listened as Kitten spoke. The girl went on and on about all sorts of things. Meggie didn't mind it at all; the girl's endless chatter was soothing and most of the time entertaining. She was a complete motor mouth. Meggie took a moment to look back down at Basta. She gasped when she saw the man's eyelashes fluttering.

"He's waking up!" Cried Meggie, jumping slightly. Kitten gasped and rushed over to his side.

"Basta" She cooed, smoothing his bangs out of his face. "Can you hear me?" Meggie frowned a bit. Why did Kitten like him so much? She didn't even know him! Basta moaned from deep in his throat, as if he was feeling immense amounts of pleasure.

"Well I'll be. He sure likes the sound of your voice, Kitten." Tessa joined the ladies by Basta's side. He moaned again, quieter and softer this time.

"Good morning, Basta." Kitten stroked his wrist, which had a thick white bandage wrapped around it to the heel of his hand. He murmured something uncomprehendable.

"He _does _like listening to you." Meggie stared in disbelief.

"That's a first" sneered Tessa. Kitten ignored her. Basta arched his back, thrusting his hips a tad bit into the air then settled back down. His eyelashes fluttered again, and two beautiful green irises popped into vision.

"…hi…" Kitten's voice diminished to a whisper.

"Hi" Basta whispered back.


	15. Truly, madly, deeply

**Miss Isabeau is back! (After a long and agonizing drought of no updates and no good ideas on what the hell to write about!) But here is chapter 15 of Pins and Needles. Now, if you really like this story, and want to see some art work that goes along with it, you can visit my website (URL listed on my profile). There will be more images uploaded over time. In other news, I hope you all had Merry Christmases and happy Hanukahs, or just a plain ol enjoyable holiday. I hope you all have an amazing new year! **

Meggie could not sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed beside Dustfinger, groaning and whimpering. When she could not take it any longer, she got out of bed and made her way downstairs. Kitten was sound asleep on the couch in front of the fireplace. The embers emitted a soft red glow that warmed the girl's features.

"Meggie?" Someone hissed her name. The girl looked up and saw Basta sitting on the table, his hand on his head.

"Basta!" She approached him, not feeling any fear. The Basta she knew in her dreams was soft and kind…

"You little witch!" He spat, grabbing her hair. She wanted to cry out, but her voice died in her throat. Basta's touch gave her goose bumps. He hauled her outside, slamming the door shut behind him. The moonlight illuminated his features perfectly; making his skin look ghostly pale.

"What are you doing to me?" sniveled Meggie, trying to pry Basta's hands away from her hair. He didn't answer her… he only shoved her into the dead grass.

"You fucking bitch!" He snapped. It sounded as if he was choking on tears.

"What did I do?" Basta's foot came in contact with Meggie's ribs. She cried out in pain. "That hurts!"

"Its your fault I'm stuck here!" His voice was shaking from anger. Meggie flinched. "And to make it worse… you! You mother fucking _whore_! You keep your FUCKING hands off me! Understand?" Meggie whimpered as she nodded. She looked up at Basta, and nearly burst into sobs. He had tears streaming down his cheeks. His eyelashes were parted and wet, and his chin trembled. "I can't control a goddamned thing" he whispered. He sounded broken and young, like a teenager whose voice cracked. It then dawned on Meggie that Basta had no control over his actions in her dreams… "SO KEEP THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Just as Meggie thought Basta would kick her again, the front door swung open and Dustfinger came running out.

"Get away from her!" He cried. Basta swung around just in time to get a fist in the face. He fell on his back right next to Meggie.

"Dustfinger! NO!" Meggie scrambled to her feet and tried to pull Dustfinger's arms down, but as Basta rose to his feet and put a hand to the blood streaming down his face, Dustfinger swung again, hitting Basta on the jaw.

"FUCK" spat the young man, his eyes widening as blood bubbled from his mouth. "You broke my goddamned jaw!" His voice sounded more slurred. Dustfinger said nothing, but he punched again. Meggie found herself screaming and crying as Basta collapsed, unconscious.

"Dustfinger! Stop!"

"Why?" Snapped Dustfinger "so he can try to rape you again?"

"Rape me?" Meggie's voice squished in her throat. "He wasn't going to!"

"Oh yeah?" Dustfinger's eyes flashed. "What makes you so sure?"

"He hates me!" Dustfinger laughed cruelly.

"You think you have to love somebody to sleep with them?" He spat on Basta's unconscious body, then trudged towards the house, shaking with anger. Meggie collapsed on the coarse grass, sobbing. Through her tears, she crawled over to Basta's body. The way his dark brown hair hung over his face, he looked like a peaceful, sleeping boy. But as blood _streamed _from his lips, he looked so sad and broken. Meggie swept the hair off Basta's nose, and as her heart jumped, she realized that she was truly, madly, and deeply in love with Basta.

**So? Did you like it!? Please review! **


	16. Kitten's secret

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! Keep em coming! And btw… just in case one happened to be wondering… NO, Basta is ****not**** in love with Meggie! ;)**

Meggie crawled into bed, her cheeks still wet. Basta was still laying unconscious in the yard.

"I'm sorry, Meggie" murmured Dustfinger. "I didn't mean to get so angry."

"Oh" More tears spilled from Meggie's eyes. Her mind, the part that was sane, wanted Dustfinger, but her body, the part that felt, craved Basta. She felt Dustfinger's hands sliding over her body. As he touched her, she imagined it was Basta. She rolled over and ran her fingers through Dustfinger's long sandy hair, she pretended the strands were dark brown and shorter.

XxXxX

When Meggie awoke, she heard someone speaking threateningly downstairs. She quickly dressed then hustled to the kitchen. She already knew what she was going to see, so she wasn't surprised when she saw Basta pushing Tessa away, who was fussing over his wounds.

"Leave me the hell alone!" he spat. Meggie cleared her throat, attracting attention from Basta and Tessa. Basta narrowed his eyes and sent Meggie an icy glare.

"Milo and I found him outside" said Tessa, attempting to preen Basta's messy hair. Dry bits of grass were wedged in with the other strands.

"Don't fucking touch me" he snapped, swatting her hand away. Meggie almost giggled.

"He won't tell me why he was out there or who beat him up!"

"No one beat me up" he hissed, his voice poisonous.

"It's alright, Tessa. Basta can take care of himself." Meggie spoke timidly, avoiding Basta's hard stare. Tessa took her hands off Basta's body. The young man rushed to his feet at the chance and stormed off towards the front door. As he walked by Meggie, he made sure to hiss in her ear:

"I don't know what you're playing at, bitch, and I don't think I like it." His British accent gave Meggie goose bumps.

Later that day, Meggie found herself wondering about Kitten. She hadn't seen the lady since last night, when she was sound asleep. Meggie strolled into the barn to say hello to the horses. Kitten was nowhere to be seen. Meggie heard a rustle to her left. She turned, and saw Napoleon.

"Hello" she said to the brownie. To her surprise, Napoleon relied.

"Bonjour." She giggled at his thick French accent.

"Where is Kitten?"

"Ze stable girl? She is rider er horses out in ze field."

"Oh"

"She is not normale."

"Oh?"

"She is not from zis world"

"W-what?" little napoleon looked into Meggie's eyes. He was holding a sunflower seed in his hands.

"And neizer are you."

"What makes you say that?" She asked with nervous laughter.

"Come wis me." He scuttled off towards the hayloft. Meggie picked him up and carried him up to the second floor of the barn. The loft was cozy and sweet smelling. She walked over the soft bits of hay to where Kitten slept. She carefully set Napoleon down then opened a small chest. She gasped when she saw what was inside. Neatly folded at the bottom was a military uniform. On top was a pair of old fashioned aviators, a gorgeous switchblade, and a hand gun.

"oh my god" gasped Meggie. "Kitten is from my world! How did she get here?"

"Ze same way as you?" suggested Napoleon, checking out his reflexion in the sunglasses.

"No, I don't think so." Meggie pulled out an army beret. It was a flat circle in her hands.

"How did you get here zen?"

"It's a long story." Sighed Meggie, putting all the items back in the trunk. They smelled oddly sweet, like men and perfume, and outside all mixed together. Then something else caught her eye. A photograph. Meggie's lips parted and a gasp slipped out. Standing in front of a fighter jet was Kitten and a man who looked nearly identical to Basta. They were both dressed in pilot's outfits, holding each other, with huge smiles on their faces. Meggie flipped the photo over and smiled when she found what she was looking for. In messy hand writing on the bottom right of the photo were the words: _Benjamin and I, Centralia_.

"What iz zat?"

"A photograph." Meggie felt mesmerized by the smiling faces.

"A…?"

"a picture… like a painting. Only finished in a matter of seconds."

"Ooh…" Napoleon sat back down and began munching his snack.

"When did Kitten arrive?"

"A few years ago" said Napoleon through a mouthful of food.

"She probably thinks that Basta is Benjamin…" Meggie felt her stomach begin to churn. "Kitten thinks she's in love with Basta!"


	17. Murder

Supper that evening was tense and quiet. Darkness began to settle outside, and a faint breeze carried a horse whinny through the open window. Meggie sat on the bench across from Dustfinger, with Caity by her side. Kitten sat beside Milo, looking tense and distracted. Tessa spread the table with heaps of delicious food; from turkey pieces to potatoes to lettuce leaves, and for dessert, rich pumpkin pie. Every one chatted over their meal, laughing about what silly things the animas had done during the day, and murmuring thankfully about the weather. Kitten, and Meggie, were dead silent. Just then, Meggie felt something on her leg. She nearly jumped, then she saw Dustfinger glancing at her cheekily from over his plate. _Whats wrong? _He mouthed. She shook her head in response. Then his foot slid further up her leg. She scowled at him. Then giggled to herself and joined in on the game.

"What were you up to today, Meggie?" The girl was surprised that Milo addressed her.

"Exploring" she replied sweetly, as if she didn't just have her foot around Dustinger's thighs.

"Ah. Did you find anything interesting?"

"Oh no, not at all." Meggie coughed a little bit. Caity raised an eyebrow. Meggie looked up, and caught Dustfinger's eye. The man cast her a quizzical glance. "May I please be excused?" she asked, hinting to Dustfinger to follow her. The man understood, excused himself as well, and followed the girl upstairs to their shared room.

"What _have _you been up to?" he asked once the door was closed.

"Kitten is from OUR world!"

"What? How do you know?"

"I saw her stuff... I think she flew airplanes."

"You were snooping?"

"Well... sort of..." Meggie looked at her toes.

"Maybe she can help us" mused Dustfinger.

"Yes, maybe." Then she walked up to Dustfinger, planted a kiss on his lips, and put a hand to his cheek. He responded by kissing her back, and slowly undressing her.

_Meggie crept over the grass towards the barn, a deep burning hatred keeping her going. Her toes grew numb and cold as they swept through the dewy grass. She was almost there.... _

"Meggie! Wake up!" Caity's voice woke Meggie from her sleep.

"Huh?" The girl opened her eyes, confused.

"What are you doing out here?" she crouched down by Meggie's side, looking both bewildered and disgusted.

"I...I must have been sleep walking!" Meggie nearly jumped in surprise when she realised she was completely naked.

"You need to get inside!" Caity' s eyes were wide as she took the apron off her dress and handed it to Meggie. She slipped it over her front, blushing inane colors, and muttered a thanks to Caity. The entire walk through the house was pure humiliation. Every one paused what they were doing and gawked at Meggie. Milo turned red in the face and looked away.

"Sorry" murmured Meggie, dashing upstairs. She just knew that everyone was watching her bare ass scramble up the steps. When she got to her room, she slammed the door, and resisted tears. Morning light spilled in through the window, casting angelic rays over Dustfinger's sleeping face. Bed sheets covered his body, and his sandy red hair spilled over the pillow. Meggie let the apron fall to the floor. Dustfinger's eyes opened slowly. When he focussed on Meggie's naked frame, a small smile came over his lips.

"Morning" he said, trying to hid the smile on his face.

"Good morning." She felt so exposed at that moment. So horribly exposed, yet something inside her encouraged her. Invisible hands sent her towards Dustfinger.

"What were you doing?" He asked as she approached him.

"I dunno" she crawled over the bed sheets, her wavy blonde hair falling in front of her face. Dustfinger propped himself up on an arm, and greeted Meggie with a big, wet kiss. She smiled under his lips and let her body flop over his.

"Oh Meggie" he moaned heatedly, sliding his hands over her bare skin. She gasped and kissed his neck.

"Dustfinger"

XP/NX

_She made it across the grass this time, and into the barn. It was so dark, Meggie couldn't see anything. But she knew where to go. She crept across the dirty floor and climbed up the ladder. She found what she was looking for, sleeping on the floor in the hay loft. Meggie opened the trunk, and extracted the switchblade. Confidently, she snapped it open. Kitten stirred in the hay, murmuring a name in her sleep. Meggie knelt by Kitten's side, holding the switchblade next to the girl's jugular. _

"_Good bye" hissed Meggie, sticking the icy blade into Kitten's skin. Blood splattered from the open wound, splashing Meggie in the face. Kitten sprung awake, with enough time to gasp and look Meggie in the face. But as blood poured from her system, she fell limp, blood still dripping from her jugular. Meggie hissed and stuck the knife into Kitten's heart, to assure herself that the other girl was dead. Gone. Weak and stumbling, Meggie found her way out of the barn. She tripped along the lawn and made her way into the house. _

A blood curdling scream woke everyone from their sleep.

"CAITY!" Cried Dustfinger, sitting upright in bed.

"Huh?" Meggie sat up too, confused.

"HOLY SHIT, MEGGIE!" Dustfinger stared at the girl, wide eyed.

"WHAT?" His panicked expression made her feel sick with worry.

"What happened to you?"

"Huh?"

"YOU'RE COVERED IN BLOOD!"

"I AM?"

"YEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Meggie scrambled to her feet, and gawked at her reflection in the mirror at the end of the room. Sure enough, blood splatters covered her face.

"MEGGIE! DUSTFINGER! KITTENS BEEN MURDERED!" The couple followed a tearful Tessa to the barn, where Milo was standing over Kitten's bloody body. With a gasp, Meggie remembered her dream. All of a sudden the room seemed to spin as memories of last night came back to her.

_Oh my goodness. I've killed Kitten! _

**Heyyy! Sorry its taken so long to update. Reviews please? Thanks :D **


	18. Just wake up

**Prepare for a twist.**

A week since Kitten's murder. And a week without any dreams.

Meggie though to herself, as she slowly walked through the autumn grass on the ranch, that perhaps she had escaped her nightmares. A Cool breeze whispered faintly through the grass, rustling the golden stalks and crinkling the autumn leaves. The sky was stellar blue- as it usually was, and light cirrus clouds wisped over the deep canvas. Thought it was a beautiful day, a ghostly mood hung over the ranch. It was as if Kitten's ghost haunted the land, reminding Meggie of what she had done. It had been a week without supper. A week without laughter. And what a shame it was. Such beautiful days should be spent in good nature. Meggie had heard from Milo that such nice temperature would soon grow cold and grey, and pretty soon the sky would become washed out and bleak. Harvesting was in full swing; Caity and several of her friends spent long days in the vegetable gardens, picking what was ripe and ready. A lump steadily grey in Meggie's throat, reminding her that she did not belong.

Behind her, grass rustled. She spun around quickly, fear causing her heart to give an extra irregular squeeze of blood. It was only Dustfinger. He stood waist deep in the golden grass. His eyes pierced through Meggie's, and his hair rustled in the breeze.

"You startled me" she said, relief making her hands tremble slightly. Dustfinger smiled.

"I've been meaning to tell you..."

"Yes?"

"I think I know how we can get home." Meggie wanted to fall into the grass and cry out with joy and relief. Finally! She could go home.

"How?"

"The plan is in the making..."

"Dustfinger, just tell me how! I want to go home so badly.."

"You need to wake up." His voice seemed to grow fainter. As if he was speaking to her from a long ways away.

"Pardon?"

"Meggie... this is all just a dream."


	19. Befriend me to understand

_Meggie was compelled. She walked through the dark, through the house. The air was cozy, it nuzzled her skin, soft as a blanket. She found her way outside. Once again the familiar sensation of grass under her toes greeted her. She knew where she wanted to go. She climbed the ladder on the side of the house. Climbed up to the roof. Basta was sitting, back against the chimney, eyes closed. She approached him, silent as a cat. She knelt before the dozing man, and with a smile, let out a low whistle. The man's eyes opened, milky white and black in the moonlight. _

"_Good evening" She said. _

"_What do you want?" He replied. _

"_You know..." Her voice was coy. But she didn't attempt anything. Basta knew she was out of character, but he hadn't the energy to interact with her. "I'm actually confused" she said suddenly. He opened his eyes again, curious this time. _

"_Are you now?" _

"_Yes. Can you help me?" _

"_I doubt it." _

"_Please.." _

"_What do you need help with?" _

"_I'm dreaming now, yes?"_

"_Yes."_

"_But when I wake up... am I still dreaming?" Basta looked at her dead on, then his face softened and a smile curved on his face. _

"_So you're starting to figure it out, then?" _

"_Starting?" _

"_Well you're not quite all there yet."_

"_What more do I need to know?" _

"_I can't tell you that." _

"_Why?" _

"_Because you and me aren't friends. We don't get along during the day." He shrugged a shoulder. _

"_But...but I try..."  
"Convince me. Then I'll answer your questions." _

_He slid off the roof, swift as a cat. _

_Ad she was alone again. _


End file.
